Seattle man charged with killing stranger after minor argument

Originally published October 16, 2015 at 3:03 pm
Updated October 17, 2015 at 12:53 am

King County prosecutors have charged a 34-year-old South Seattle man with second-degree murder, alleging he pulled a gun and fatally shot a 20-year-old following a minor argument outside a Rainier Valley gas station.

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A 34-year-old South Seattle man who goes by the street name “Big Evil” was charged Friday with second-degree murder, accused of killing a 20-year-old man following a minor argument, according to King County prosecutors.

Michael David Henderson was arrested by Seattle police on Tuesday night near a strip mall on Rainier Avenue South, about a mile south of where Abubakar Abdi was fatally shot two days earlier, charging papers say.

According to police and prosecutors, the shooting was captured by nearby video surveillance cameras, and Henderson was identified as the shooter by witnesses at the scene as well as a Department of Corrections (DOC) officer who was shown the video.

Michael David Henderson

The video “reveals the shooting was unprovoked and senseless,” Senior Deputy Prosecutor John Castleton wrote in charging papers, which say Henderson’s face is clearly visible in the footage.

Henderson, who is being held in jail in lieu of $2 million bail, also was charged with first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, along with a firearms enhancement on the murder charge that would automatically add five years to his prison sentence if he’s convicted, court and jail records show.

Henderson is barred from possessing firearms due to past convictions on vehicular-assault and felony drug charges, court records show.

He was under active DOC supervision at the time he is accused of gunning down Abdi around 11:30 p.m. Sunday at Rainier Avenue South and South Garden Street in the city’s Brighton neighborhood, charging papers say.

Henderson, Abdi and one of Abdi’s friends got into an argument outside a Shell gas station at 7219 Rainier Ave. S., according to the charges. Abdi and his friends crossed the street and were followed soon after by Henderson and two companions, say the charges, which note that Henderson and Abdi were strangers to each other.

Some words were exchanged and Henderson pulled a gun, fatally shooting Abdi at close range before walking away, the charges say.

A witness later told homicide detectives “the victim did verbally argue with the suspect, but there was no assault, no threat and no weapons involved prior to the suspect suddenly taking out a gun and shooting the victim,” the charges say.

When Henderson was arrested, he was wearing the same clothes he had on when the shooting occurred and that he had worn to meetings with his community corrections officer, charging papers say.

“Henderson showed no surprise when asked about the shooting, but declined to provide any information,” the charges say.

The charging papers say he is affiliated with a street gang but do not identify the gang.

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